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Mixing CA/SA and African cichlids

cholile

Members
I have focused exclusively on african cichlids for the past several years. I want to try a "wet pet" in one of my tanks and I am interested in a red devil. My question is can I put a red devil in a tank with african fish?

I would actually get rid of the remaining african cichlids in that tank, but I would want to keep the bottom dwellers, which include (a) 6 synodontis petricola (b) 1 elipsifer eel and (c) 2 buffalo head.

I realize they generally prefer different PH, but my understanding is that, provided the change is not sudden, many can tolerate different water parameters.

Thanks.
 

creepyoldguy

Members
Depends on the devils personality, what size you introduce him/her into the tank. Although they do come from different water, a fish can be acclimated to just about any reasonable ph. Ph level is not nearly as important as it being stable.
 

rich_one

Members
I gotta go with dogofwar on this one... the odds are, the red devil will destroy all of those fish you have.

-Rich
 

cholile

Members
Tank is 95 gallons and 48 x 14/18/14 (curved glass) x 26

Thanks for the helpful responses. 3 questions

1. So does everyone seem to think PH is a non-issue provided it is ok as of now out of the tap and changed regularly?

2. I realize this won't apply to the eel or buffalo head, but I thought the catfish, with their sharp spikes, were usually messed with one or twice by larger aggressive fish and then never harmed again. Is that inaccurate?
 

toddnbecka

Members
Regarding catfish and their spines, I had an ornate bicher some years back. I picked up several 2-3" Synodontis eupterus juvies and put into the same tank, thinking their spines would be sufficient defense. I saw one going down the hatch tail-first, spines and all, squeaking like it was calling for help. There have also been plenty of folks who mixed large pleco's with aggreswsive cichlids and lost the pleco's. Sometimes only the eyes and fins were eaten, but usually they were killed.
Other folks have mixed various fish together w/out any losses or major issues. It's pretty much hit-or-miss, and cichlids are quite variable in general disposition. Temperature may be one critical factor; kept at the lower end of their tolerance range most fish are less aggressive, though it doesn't seem to affect appetite or growth rate IME.
 

verbal

CCA Members
I think the footprint of the tank is going to make it hard to keep anything else with a Red Devil, even if they would potentially work in a larger tank.
 

cholile

Members
Verbal,

Others have indicated both here and on cichlid-forum that a lone RD with bottom dwellers should work. You think even that is an issue? If I get a RD the plan is to have that as the only cichlid in the tank.
 

verbal

CCA Members
If you start with a small Red Devil and larger bottom dwellers it could work. If you start with a big Red Devil(especially one that has been kept alone), he might regard anything else in the tank as competition. If you go with a larger Red Devil at least try to find one that has co-existed with bottom dwellers.
 

George

CCA Charter Member and person in charge of the we
I just have to jump in here. I think you have gotten very good advice on Red Devils but I really do not like the words "tolerate" and acclimate". I really do not care what people do with their fish to torture them since I feed some of my fish to others and have been known to put one fish in another's tank HOPING that the newcomer would kill it.

The key thing here is that just because a fish will "tolerate" the conditions does not really mean it would be good to do it. If we are going to confine these poor animals to our aquariums it just seems we should strive to provide optimal lives for them. Putting a Red Devil in with Africans is not fair to either fish just as Corys with Africans is just Bonehead. Whether they live or not does not matter. We know it is not the best so why do it?

If you really want to do it, go ahead. Give us the bloody details later.

I have focused exclusively on african cichlids for the past several years. I want to try a "wet pet" in one of my tanks and I am interested in a red devil. My question is can I put a red devil in a tank with african fish?

I would actually get rid of the remaining african cichlids in that tank, but I would want to keep the bottom dwellers, which include (a) 6 synodontis petricola (b) 1 elipsifer eel and (c) 2 buffalo head.

I realize they generally prefer different PH, but my understanding is that, provided the change is not sudden, many can tolerate different water parameters.

Thanks.
 

fischfan13

Banned
I just have to jump in here. I think you have gotten very good advice on Red Devils but I really do not like the words "tolerate" and acclimate". I really do not care what people do with their fish to torture them since I feed some of my fish to others and have been known to put one fish in another's tank HOPING that the newcomer would kill it.

The key thing here is that just because a fish will "tolerate" the conditions does not really mean it would be good to do it. If we are going to confine these poor animals to our aquariums it just seems we should strive to provide optimal lives for them. Putting a Red Devil in with Africans is not fair to either fish just as Corys with Africans is just Bonehead. Whether they live or not does not matter. We know it is not the best so why do it?

If you really want to do it, go ahead. Give us the bloody details later.

THIS is why I LIKE George.
Well said and to the point.
 
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